Walter Finch
A BALEARICS government official who faces accusations he sexually abused a woman and attacked a policeman has blamed his actions on being ‘very drunk.’
Juan Serra Ferrer, who ran the region’s telecommunications body, is facing three years in jail for a drunken rampage in a restaurant on Passeig de Mallorca in May 2022.
However, his lawyers argued that although he does not deny ‘kissing and licking a woman’s face’, he didn’t do it with ‘libidinous intent.’
“On the day of the incident, my client had consumed alcoholic beverages which impaired his cognitive and decision-making abilities,” they added in a court filing, according to Ultima Hora.
They also denied that he punched a policeman in the face after trying to escape the scene.
Several witnesses reported that Serra approached a group of family and friends just after midnight on May 28 and placed his hip right on the young woman’s back.
He then started gyrating and dancing behind her, until the girl’s father got involved and pushed the government official away.
However, Serra was not dissuaded, according to eyewitnesses, and returned minutes later and lunged in at another girl, grabbing her head and trying to kiss her.
The woman attempted to resist and push him away, but Serra succeeded in landing a kiss on her lips and face.
Outraged at the out-of-control behaviour, several people called the police.
When Serra realised he was in trouble, the ex-UIB teacher is alleged to have scurried off.
Police managed to track him down, however when they tried to stop him, he is alleged to have lunged at one of the officers and knocked him out with a blow.
The incident has also put a spotlight on Ferrer’s connections in the regional government, including his relationship with Vice-President Antoni Costa.
Costa is accused of appointing Serra to his position with Ibetec, the public entity for telecommunications and innovation, fully aware of his charges of sexual abuse.
The case has not only cast a shadow over Ferrer’s career, leading to his removal from public office, but also raised questions about the conduct and accountability of public officials in the Balearic Islands.
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